Food Financial News

On most days in Bengaluru, Bert Mueller could pass unnoticed, except for the auto, which is bright red and unmistakable. Mueller, an American who moved to India in his early 20s, often drives the three-wheeler around Indiranagar, where he lives.

Farmers have been forced to pause harvesting and the moisture content in the standing crop has increased, making it unsuitable for immediate procurement. The slowdown has led to lower-than-usual arrivals in the wholesale markets, affecting early procurement by government agencies.According to Food Corporation of India (FCI) data, the government’s wheat purchase from farmers in the 2026-27 rabi marketing season (April–June) was 324,065 tonnes as of 8 April, compared to 398,030 tonnes a year ago.

This will be the third CPI print under the new series with the 2024 base year. Economists in the poll expect March CPI to be within a wide range of 3.1% to 4%, with some flagging upside risks as the war has driven crude oil prices sharply higher.“Headline CPI is expected to rise in March, led by an increase in non-food segments, even as food inflation is expected to remain steady,” said Aditi Nayar, chief economist at Icra Ltd.Some economists flagged a fading base effect as another key driver.

At an Ikea store in India, a shopper’s journey often ends where it quietly begins again—with a tray of food.“Food is a major driver of traffic for us. It’s among the biggest reasons customers walk into our stores,” Adosh Sharma, country commercial manager at Ikea India, told Mint in an interview.What started as an in-store convenience has evolved into a core lever for footfall, repeat visits and customer engagement.

Over the past three days, 6-8 April 2026, the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) that is responsible for setting the policy interest rate (repo) has, doubtless, burnt the proverbial midnight oil deliberating on the growth-inflation trade-off. As expected, it has concluded, like most central banks, that it is best to mark time.The ceasefire in the West Asia conflict, announced just a little over an hour before US President Donald Trump’s deadline to “wipe out an entire civilisation” was to end (and, coincidently, just hours before RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra’s statement), brings only a temporary reprieve (of a fortnight).It is far from clear whether the ceasefire will hold.

₹10,900 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the food processing sector has delivered on several fronts, drawing investments and expanding capacity. But questions remain on whether it has actually delivered as expec­ted.With the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) now examining why several PLI schemes have underperformed expectations, Mint explains whether the needle has moved beyond headline investments to sustained value addition.The PLI scheme for the food processing sector is designed to support food manufacturing companies that meet minimum sales thresholds and commit to investments for expanding processing capacity and building global brands.The scheme, being implemented for six years till FY26-27, seeks to create globally competitive food manufacturing champions.

SMS Integrated Facility Services from private equity firm Samara Capital for an enterprise value of about ₹270 crore in February.The acquisition marked SILA’s push to deepen its presence in integrated facility management.Founded by brothers Rushabh and Sahil Vora in 2009, SILA operates in more than 125 cities across India, managing over 450 million square feet of real estate with a workforce exceeding 60,000.The company delivers integrated, tech-enabled services spanning facility management, material handling equipment leasing, food catering, and real estate advisory—serving large corporates, funds, and developers across the full asset lifecycle.“Our focus is on leveraging technology to drive efficiency, transparency, and service quality at scale across India’s built environment,” the Vora brothers said in the statement on Wednesday.Its real estate development arm, SILA Estates, is currently developing over 1 million square feet of premium residential and commercial projects across Mumbai.In FY25, the company reported operating revenue of about ₹913.9 crore, up from ₹713 crore a year earlier. Profits widened to ₹11.5 crore compared to ₹9.1 crore in FY24, according to an Icra report.Norwest Venture Partners first acquired a stake in SILA in August 2019 and has invested around ₹110–120 crore in the company over the years.

NEW DELHI: A shortage of refrigerated containers (reefers) caused by the West Asia war is worrying Indian growers of mangoes ahead of the peak export season, according to five people aware of the development.With the war in its second month, key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, have been disrupted, leading to container shortages and higher freight costs. Many containers are stuck in transit due to congestion or are being re-routed, leading to longer shipment cycles.This poses a unique problem for India, which produces 20.68 million tonnes, or 44%, of the world's mangoes annually, the most by any country.

The ongoing war in West Asia has cast a pall of uncertainty over the global economy. The disruptions in energy supplies have begun to ripple through supply chains across the world. In its latest monthly review of the Indian economy, the finance ministry has noted: “Recent shocks are being transmitted through higher input costs, supply constraints and pressures across sectors, with early indications of some moderation in economic activity.”For economic policymakers, managing a disruption in supply is far more complicated than responding to a sudden shift in demand.

Shares of AWL Agri Business (formerly Adani Wilmar) are down 36% since 21 November after Adani group’s exit. The stock hit a 52-week low of ₹171.19 on 16 March, amid muted financials for the nine months ended December (9MFY26), which added to the pressure.But the worst may be over. Its March quarter (Q4FY26) business update reveals sales volumes grew by 13% year-on-year.

“We do blue-collar hiring, mainly in the manufacturing and supply chain sectors, and there, the costs of getting workforce in the metros has gone up by about 15-20% in a month,” said Neeti Sharma, chief executive officer of TeamLease Digital, part of the staffing firm TeamLease Group.Scarcity of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has forced construction and manufacturing sectors' blue-collared workers—scaffolders, plumbers, welders, etc.—back to their hometowns and villages.Radheshyam and four others together iron clothes in south Mumbai. These migrant workers from Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, together typically use one LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinder for a little over a month.

Marico Ltd, even as war-led disruption and cost pressures are set to lash its fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) peers. The Nifty FMCG index is down 16% so far this year, while Marico’s stock has been largely flat.

An old commodity-trade adage is that the Middle East “sells hydrocarbons to buy carbohydrates.” The desert states send out their oil and natural gas, and in comes wheat and rice. There are a few things produced in the Gulf, however, that are crucial to global food production: nitrogen fertilizer such as urea and ammonia, and the gas used to make them.So the war in Iran—and its blockage of the Strait of Hormuz waterway—has prompted warnings about another bout of global food inflation similar to the one that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite such fears, the agricultural market isn’t at risk today, at least in the short term.

West Asia crisis with resilient activity indicators and still-supportive demand. Further, the inflation environment too has remained benign.

India’s luxury hotels are exploring ways to capitalize on their brands by going beyond room bookings and food and beverage sales. Chains such as Taj, Marriott, Leela, Oberoi and Sarovar are increasingly moving into branded residences and serviced apartments to diversify their offerings.The trend, which has been around for a few years, gathered pace in FY26, with at least half a dozen projects signed and launched across Mumbai, Gurugram, Noida and Greater Noida as hospitality companies looked for more asset-light revenue streams tied to real estate.Indian Hotels Company Ltd, which runs the Taj brand of hotels, signed an agreement to manage 74 Taj serviced apartments with the Gulshan Group in Noida last month.

Growth has been slow but steady, exactly opposite of the steady decline in the US market.Subway, like other fast-food joints, is a part of the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry, which is riding on the tailwinds of India’s growth story.India’s QSR industry is complex and varied, with entities ranging from small independent eating places (neighbourhood Udipi type hotels) to home-grown chains (Haldiram’s, Saravanaa Bhavan) to multinational franchises (Subway, McDonald’s). However, the organized QSR market is dominated by a few firms, which control global food brands and generate about ₹20,000 crore in revenue (2024-25 estimate).The top five companies are publicly listed, and recent press reports suggest that Subway may also be preparing for an initial public offering.

Wipro Ltd has bagged a contract worth $1 billion over eight years from Singapore-based food processing company Olam Group, ending a nearly six-year lull of mega deals for the country's fourth-largest information technology (IT) services firm.As part of a broader engagement, Wipro will also acquire Mindsprint, Olam’s IT arm, for $375 million in an all-cash deal, the company said in a release to the stock exchanges on Monday.Following the announcement, Wipro's shares opened 3.6% higher at ₹198.4 on the BSE in a largely weak market.The Bengaluru-based IT services company will manage the food processing company’s end‑to‑end IT transformation services. Olam has committed to spending at least $800 million over eight years in modernising its IT systems with an option to spend more than $1 billion in total.Mindsprint ended last year with $136 million in revenue and the acquisition is expected to close by June, subject to regulatory approvals.

oil price spike has worsened the external flow position further by widening the current account deficit and triggering large FPI capital outflows.While the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced measures to curb speculation in the onshore forex market, the rupee's depreciation is likely to persist and add to inflationary pressures.At present, the headline inflation remains below the target rate and with the excise duty cuts, the central government has ensured that the near-term impact of the adverse shock on inflation and growth is contained.It is thus likely that the MPC will leave the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, awaiting clarity on the duration of the oil market disruption, while acknowledging that higher oil prices have significantly increased the risk of inflation rising above 4% over the year.The policy stance is likely to be retained as neutral, providing the MPC with the flexibility to act appropriately depending on the evolving macro-economic conditions.The longer oil prices stay above $100 per barrel level, the greater will be the upward pressure on imported and overall inflation and downward pressure on real GDP growth. Thus, over the course of this fiscal year, the MPC will closely monitor disruptions to energy markets due to the West Asia conflict.

EPL Ltd’s recently announced merger with Indovida is not just another expansion, but a shift in the business model. The transaction is structured as a share-swap, making it largely cash-neutral, where EPL will issue shares to Indovida shareholders.The deal values EPL at about ₹339 per share, implying a 70% premium to its pre-announcement closing price on 27 March, while Indovida is being acquired at a discount to EPL’s valuation multiple.

Read more.War opens a window for India’s space startups: India’s space startups may have found an unexpected tailwind. The Iran war is driving demand for satellite-based surveillance, creating a “just right” moment for firms building imaging and data capabilities.Startups like Pixxel, Digantara and GalaxEye Space are already seeing inbound interest and signing deals, especially from West Asia, where many countries lack their own satellite systems.The opportunity is sizeable, with projections pegging India’s space surveillance market at $8 billion by 2033.

Mint unpacksZomato has made three attempts at ultra-fast food delivery: Instant, Everyday, and Quick. Each was built on a different model but ended for the same reason: the economics never worked.